Method and apparatus for securing one or more elastic ribbons in a stretched condition to a continuously moving web in the manufacture of garments and the like is well known in the art. This may be done either by sewing, by the use of a heat-activated coating on the elastic or by the use of a separate adhesive. It is also known that this process can be carried out in such a way that the elastic is intermittently joined to the moving web.
For aesthetic and functional reasons it is frequently preferred that the stretched elastic strands be intermittently joined to the moving web and that the individual items severed from the web be severed in the unjoined areas so that the portion of the elastic strand which is joined to the individual item will contract a discrete area of the individual item and the portion of the elastic strand which is unjoined to the individual item will contract or "snap back" and become relaxed, inactive, and non-functional. This requires that the web be free of anything that will prevent the unjoined portion of the elastic strand from contracting or "snapping back" and becoming relaxed, inactive and non-functional.
However, the design of many products will frequently require the positioning of various elements on the web in the areas where the elastic is to be unjoined to the web. If the various elements positioned on the web are of a type which will interfere with the relaxing of the unadhered areas of the elastic bands, the aesthetics and functionality of the individual items severed from the web will be greatly reduced.
An example of a product which is required to be contracted in only a discrete area, is a disposable absorbent article such as a disposable diaper. It is important that the elastic strands of the leg cuffs of the disposable diaper, contract only the area of the leg cuffs and not contract the area of the waist regions. If the elastic strands of the leg cuffs were to also contract the area of the waist region, improper fit and increased leakage would result about the waist of the wearer. Additionally, this would result in an aesthetically unappealing and less attractive end product.
The art fails to teach means for continuously joining elastic bands in discrete, spaced areas while in a stretched condition at predetermined points along a continuously moving, substantially inelastic web wherein obstructing elements are positioned in the areas where the elastic is to be unjoined to the web. Therefore, when the web is severed, the unadhered ends of the elastic strands will be restrained by the obstructing elements and will not become relaxed, inactive, and non-functional, thereby undesirably contracting the areas where the elastic is to be unjoined to the web.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for joining strands of stretched elastic in discrete areas at predetermined points on an inelastic web having obstructing elements positioned thereon.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for joining continuous strands of stretched elastic in discrete, spaced areas at predetermined points along a continuously moving inelastic web having obstructing elements positioned thereon.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a disposable absorbent article having obstructing elements and discrete elastic strands secured thereto, the elastic strands being functional to gather discrete portions of the absorbent article without being restrained by the obstructing elements.